Coming Home
by Ms.Orange21
Summary: Formerly a Johnny/Lulu one shot based off the 2/1/08 episode. What happens to Johnny when his sister returns home? Is now a Multi-Chapter story. CHAPTER 4 UP! **PERMANENT HIATUS**
1. Pain

_A/N: This was written in response to the Friday 2/1/08 episode. I've assumed Johnny is about 22, which would make Claudia 30 (8 years apart). So if she left when Johnny was 8, she's been gone for about 14 years._

**One-Shot: Pain**

_Who the hell did Logan think he was,_ Lulu thought. Wanting her to sleep with him out of attraction was one thing. Sleeping with him to prove she wanted to be with him – that's a completely different spectrum."I am not spending the night with you."

"Why?"

"Because that invitation had all the charm of being dragged back to your cave by my hair."

"Lulu," Logan said, pleadingly, "I want to be with you."

She snorted. "No, no, you want me to prove something to you, but I'm not going to do it."

"Because you can't."

Lulu couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Because I don't have to. I'm not the one who's dragging Johnny into every single conversation that we have. You can't seem to open your mouth without putting him down or trying to prove that you're better than he is."

"Just better for you," he scoffed.

"Well, you know what? If you really mean that, then show me. Be the best Logan that you can be, because that is all that I would want to be with."

"I'm sorry, Lulu, I'm pushing it."

She sighed. She knew this day was coming for a long time. Since Maxie… and since Johnny. "Maybe there is no winning for us, for any of us."

"What does that mean?"

"It means maybe I should just – I should be on my own."

"All right – till Johnny comes along, right? Hmm?"

And there was the out Lulu was waiting for. She was sick and tired of Logan assuming things and badmouthing Johnny left and right. "Thank you, thank you. That just made up my mind – I'm done." She turned and walked away without looking back.

"Lulu," Logan called after her, "I'm sorry. Come – come back!"

* * *

"I'm supposed to get a new nurse," Anthony said to his son with a small smile. "I don't trust any of them anymore."

"Why?"

"Because they're old and ugly and heavy-handed." He turned his head when he heard footsteps come toward the bed. "Except this one. Hello, nursie."

"Hi, Daddy," the woman replied.

Shock was the only thing that showed on his face when Claudia entered like she had never been gone. All he could do was stare. They stayed in the room with his father for about fifteen more minutes, and the entire time, Johnny held everything else in. He kept cold and distant, never letting emotion cross his features. When their little reunion was over, he was the first one out the door with Claudia hot on his heels.

"Johnny… Johnny wait a minute. Slow down," she said, grabbing his arm.

"No," he replied, tugging free of her grip. "I can't do this right now."

"Please," she said softly. "We need to talk."

"What? Right here? In the middle of a hallway in the psychiatric ward of the jail where our paralyzed father is currently residing riding out a murder sentence?"

"You're right. Later," she questioned, hopefully.

"Fine. Later." With those two words, he turned on his heel and left.

Claudia sighed as she watched Johnny storm down the hallway. She just hoped he gave her the chance to explain that her disappearance wasn't her fault or her choice.

* * *

Lulu wasn't ready to go home after the breakup with Logan. Or whatever place she was going to call home until the crap with the Quatermaines blew over. So she did what she did best: walked. She walked around Port Charles for a good hour, just thinking. About where she and Logan went wrong. It wasn't that hard to figure out – she was still raw over the thing with Maxie. That's the precise moment that it all went downhill. She never really forgave him for that; how could she? He mad a bet to sleep with her! How is that actually forgivable? Which is why Lulu didn't fell one iota of shame or guilt for lying to him about Johnny. She laughed bitterly to herself. _Which lie would that be, exactly,_ she thought. _That me and Johnny were just 'friends' or that nothing happened between us? Or the fact that I really don't want to be alone…_

No, Lulu didn't want to be alone. She wanted Johnny. She pretty much wanted Johnny since she met him. But between Scott's offer to drop the charges against Luke and giving Nicholas custody of Laura back, and Logan's genuine pleas to forgive him – Lulu felt that maybe they could work things out. She had real feelings for Logan – but the lack of trust she had in him dissolved that. And lately, he had a tendency to push her buttons just the right way. There was no way they were going to work out. Now, Lulu finally understood what was going on between Lucky, Elizabeth and Jason. She was going to have to make a point of having a long talk with Elizabeth later.

When Lulu finally stopped walking, she found herself at the Overlook. She sighed and leaned against one of the large stone pillars. This was her and Johnny's place. The place where he first kissed her, the place where he saved her father._ The place where he tried to scare me away,_ she thought, her lips curling into a smile at the memory. It pissed her off at the time, but she was a Spencer and she didn't give up that easily.

Pushing off the pillar, she made her way over to the railing – and paused when she saw a figure sitting on the ground leaning up against it. His knees were drawn up to his chest with his arms folded across them and his head down. He seemed oblivious to the cold and the dirt around him – he just sat there.

"Johnny?"

* * *

Johnny couldn't believe she was back. When he saw her enter that room, it was like a punch to the stomach. He couldn't breathe. When he left the hospital, he ran. He just kept going until he couldn't move anymore. His legs finally gave out when he reached the Overlook. He collapsed against the railing and just gave in to all the emotions he was feeling. He cried. How Claudia could come waltzing back in like nothing ever happened was beyond him. The shock alone was debilitating. But now it was like reliving his childhood all over again.

Johnny didn't know what happened to her when she disappeared. Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? Was she dead? After the first two years she was gone, he came to accept that she probably was dead and he would never see her again.

His head snapped up when he heard the voice. He came here to get away from everything, to be alone and he couldn't even get that. When he saw it was Lulu, though, Johnny jumped up and turned away from her, scrubbing away the tears that had been running down his face for the past hour with his hands.

"What do you want?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he choked out. "Now leave me alone."

She ignored his order and walked up to him. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop telling me what to do?" Gently, she took his arm and turned him to face her. At this point Johnny was too emotionally and physically drained to stop her. Lulu gasped as she looked up into his tear stained face and red-rimmed eyes. "Oh my god, Johnny," she said, cupping his face in her hands, "what's wrong? What happened?"

He turned his head away from her prying eyes and said, "Nothing. I'm fine. Now please, I just want to be alone." His voice cracked on the last word.

"You are not fine, Johnny. Let me help you."

He let out a small laugh that sounded more like a sob. "So, you're what? Making yourself my very own private nurse?"

"If I have to. Johnny," she said softly, putting her hand on his arm, "what's wrong?"

He sank back down to the ground, sighing. Lulu followed suit and waited for him to start talking.

"Who the hell does she think she is? Fourteen years. Fourteen goddamn years she left me alone with him. Not a word why she left, no letters, messages, nothing. I thought she was dead! And now she waltzes back in like she was never gone. She was all I had, and she left me." Johnny couldn't stop the tears again at this point.

"Who?"

"My sister. Claudia."

Lulu was shocked. "You have a sister?'

"Half-sister," he replied wiping his eyes. "Before my father married my mother, he had a relationship with another woman. They had a child. I'm not sure what happened to the woman – maybe she died or something, I don't know. But Claudia always lived with us."

"Were you close?"

"She was perfect. She loved me and always treated me like a person, even though she was eight years older than me. Never thought of me as a nuisance or annoying. She just loved me. She took care of me and protected me when my mother couldn't."

Realization dawned upon Lulu. "She's the one you were talking about on the Haunted Star. Held you during your fever, wore the scrubby red sneakers?"

He nodded. "She was so scared of my father. Even though he loved my mother to obsession, he never trusted women. That included children. We would spend days together, telling each other stories, hiding under the bed when my father was on a rampage. Even though I was the younger one, she'd crawl into bed with me at night because she had nightmares."

"She sounds like a wonderful sister."

"Wonderful. So wonderful that six months after my mother died, she up and disappeared." Johnny's voice started to break again. "I was eight years old. She was the one who held me together after my mother was shot. Took care of me. Told me everything would be all right. That she'd always be there to make sure I was okay. But she lied. She left me." He seemed oblivious to the tears running down his face. "The only two people that cared about me were gone – I was an eight year old boy left with his unstable father. I almost died that day."

Lulu gathered him in her arms and laid his head down in her lap. She stroked his head while he cried out fourteen years of pent up feelings. She had an ache in her chest to see Johnny in this much pain. The normally stoic and strong person she knew was replaced by the sad little boy from so long ago.

When his crying finally ceased, he just lay in Lulu's lap, savoring the feeling of her hands in his hair. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want anyone to see me like this, especially you."

"It's okay. Sometimes you just need to let it out."

"Not me. I'm the head of the Zacchara organization. I'm Anthony Zacchara's son. And here I am, crying like a baby in your lap." He snorted in disgust at himself. "If only Sonny and Moreau could see me now…"

"Well, they'll never know, now will they?" She smiled down into his face. With the tears still fresh on his cheeks, she could almost see that little boy still inside.

Johnny sat up when he saw the way Lulu was looking at him and wiped his face with his sleeves. "I'm okay now," he said gruffly. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

She rolled here eyes at his dismissal. "I'm right where I should be."

"I think Logan would have something to say about that."

"I don't."

He looked over at her quizzically. "I ended things with him for good. I don't like being told that I have to sleep with someone to prove that I want to be with them."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Come on," she said, standing up. "We're going to the Metro Court for the night."

"Lulu," he said sighing, "I can't take anymore tonight. I can't. This game with you and me and Logan – I can't do it anymore. Not on top of this."

"There is no game, Johnny. Right here is where I should have been from the beginning."

"Lulu –"

"No, listen to me. Now I understand why you continuously try to push me away. Not for my safety, for your safety. Everyone you've ever loved – your mother, you sister – left you. You just wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again. And I – I stayed with Logan because despite everything, he did love me. I was just being cautious with his feelings. Why, considering he crushed me? I have no idea. But I'm sick of trying to prove myself to him left and right when he's the one who needs to prove things to me. But most of all, I'm sick of pretending I don't want to be with you."

"Are you sure that's what you really want?" He was too tired to argue or fight anymore.

"I could be with Logan right now if I wanted to," she said walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "But all I really want to do is hold you and tell you everything will be okay."

Johnny rubbed his cheek against her hair, savoring the softness and the comfort it gave him. "Is it really?"

She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Yes. And if you haven't realized it yet, I'm not going anywhere. You tried to get rid of me and it didn't work. I'm here to stay."

He smiled, finally feeling at peace after the torturous day he just went through. "I'm tired."

"Come on," Lulu said, steering him away from the Overlook. "Let's get a room and get some rest. I'll even tuck you in," she said with a smile.


	2. Someplace Safe

_A/N: I'm not sure what kind of hotel the Metro Court is, but I'm assuming it's an upscale one and any amenities I've mentions are available at many NYC hotels._

_Major thanks and appreciation go out to __**someday**__ from the "When I'm With You" JoLu message board for making this chapter what it is and giving it a title. Without her help it would have been very bumpy reading. _

**Chapter 2: Someplace Safe**

On the way to the Metro Court, Lulu explained to Johnny how sometimes she needed to get away from the Quatermaine mansion. Since Carly was her cousin – almost like a sister, really – she kept a room open for her at all times for such situations.

"So you get a room whenever you want, no charge?" Johnny asked.

"Well, my cousin is part owner of the hotel. She can do whatever she wants," Lulu replied with a smile.

When they got to the hotel, Carly was the first person they saw. "What is this?"

Lulu turned to Johnny and whispered, "Wait here for one second." She made her way over to Carly and replied, "I need my room for tonight. The Quatermaine's kicked out Dad and Tracy because Tracy is suing Monica for malpractice."

"It's always something with that family. What about him?" she questioned, nodding her head towards Johnny.

"He'll be staying with me."

"Excuse me?"

"Carly –"

"Lulu, did our talks not register or something? Because I'm sure I warned you against Johnny Zacchara!"

"Carly, right now he's not the Johnny Zacchara we know or who people think he is. Right now, he's in a bad place. Someone very close to him – that he thought was dead – suddenly just decided she wanted back into his life. He's hurt and confused. Right now, he's not an up and coming mob boss. He's a scared little boy. And he has no one. He needs me."

Carly looked at her skeptically, not really falling for what Lulu was saying. "You don't believe me, fine. Just take a good look at him and tell me what you see."

Carly sighed and leaned just enough around Lulu to get a glimpse of Johnny. What she saw shocked her. She took in his disheveled hair and his red-rimmed eyes. His slouched posture and his hands jammed in his pockets; his dirty jeans and the toe of his foot scuffing the tiles on the floor. If she didn't already know who it was standing across the room, she wouldn't have never recognized him. "My god, Lulu. He looks…"

"Lost," she supplied.

"Broken. He looks broken. Who did that to him?"

Lulu shook her head. "Maybe later, but right now, it's not my story to tell." She sighed and continued. "Carly, there's more to Johnny than anyone realizes. And I'm all he has right now. Danger or not, I'm going be there for him."

Carly could see exactly where this was heading. "Oh, Lulu, don't go down the same path I did. It'll only lead you to heartbreak."

She gave a bitter laugh. "Been there, done that. Besides," she confessed, "there's something different about Johnny. I know deep down he wants out of the business, unlike Sonny. There's just no way out for him right now."

"Why is that?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm positive it has to do with Trevor Lansing."

Carly nodded. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"So anyway," Lulu finished up, "I need my room for the night, maybe two. There are a lot of things both of us need to help each other with."

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Carly said, reaching under the Concierge desk to grab Lulu's hidden keycard.

"Johnny wouldn't do anything to hurt me," she replied, giving her a hug. "Thank you for understanding."

"Understanding, yes. Approving, no," she grumbled.

* * *

"What was that all about," Johnny asked when they shuffled into the elevator.

"Nothing. Just explaining that I needed the room for a night or two."

"And she didn't have a problem with me being here?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Even if she did, saving her life trumps any issues she might have." That was Lulu's back up plan - if Carly gave any more protestations to Johnny staying with her – remind her of his heroic actions at the Black and White Ball.

The rest of the way to the room was made in silence. When they got there, Johnny stared in awe at the size of the room. It was like a small apartment. There was a balcony, a living room area with a huge flat screen TV, a kitchen/dining area, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi and separate shower and an obscenely large bedroom with closets and a king size bed. He whistled upon seeing the accommodations. "What did Carly do? Put aside the penthouse for you?"

"Please," she replied. "This is probably the size of your entire bedroom in that prison you call a house."

"Excuse me, but it's called a mansion," he stated with a small grin.

Seeing_that_ smile made Lulu's heart warm. It was the first one he flashed all night. Johnny noticed her staring at him and the smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "What?"

"Nothing," she said. "It's just that seeing you smile… it's nice. I haven't seen it in a while."

"Haven't had much a reason to."

"Yeah." They fell into silence, neither knowing really what to say or how to say it.

"So."

"So."

"I'm gonna go take a shower," they both said in unison. Looking at each other, they both burst out laughing. The tension that seemed to fall over the room broke, and a calmness fell over the both of them.

"Okay," Lulu said, "you go first. I'll order some room service." She went to the bathroom and grabbed both of the robes that were hanging on the door. "Here," she said handing him one, "go get changed and give me your clothes."

Johnny raised his eyebrow at her order. "Excuse me?"

"The hotel has a 24-hour laundry service. You're not taking a shower and putting dirty clothes back on."

"Is this just your excuse to get me half naked?" he said jokingly, the sadness in his eyes starting to disappear.

Lulu rolled her eyes. "You wish," she laughed. "Now, hurry," she said pushing him towards the bathroom. "I have to run out and pick up a few things for us before places close and I want to drop your clothes off on my way out."

"You're leaving," he asked with a frown, a twinge of worry in his voice.

"I'll only be gone for a half hour – an hour tops," she assured him.

Satisfied with her answer, he left for the bathroom. While he was changing, she put in a room service order for the both of them. Johnny came out a minute later in the robe, his clothes neatly folded in a pile. Lulu swallowed hard and tried not to imagine what was under the robe. Then she imagined him in the shower all wet and soapy. Suddenly, it was about 100 degrees too hot in the room and she had to get out.

"Here you go," he said. He noticed Lulu's reaction to his state of dress and he smiled. Despite the shock of Claudia coming back, knowing that Lulu honestly and truly wanted him made him feel a million times better.

"Thanks," she replied. Swallowing hard, she took the clothes and quickly turned, making her way towards the door, her words flying out at warp speed, "Okay. I placed the order. It's on my tab – which really doesn't exist because of Carly. Just listen for the door and if you can cover a tip that would be great. Yeah. Okay. I'll be back in a bit."

Johnny swore he saw a dust could follow her she bolted out the door so fast. God. Just being around Lulu raised his spirits. He laughed. _Well, it was her idea to have me run around in a robe._

* * *

"That's it," Lulu said to herself.

She had just finished dropping off his clothes at the laundry. "He's gonna think I'm psycho. Or that I don't want him. Which totally isn't true. It's just it was as shock to the system to see him all… robed up."

She sighed and covered her eyes. "And here I am, sitting on a bench outside of the Metro Court talking to myself. Yep. Definitely psycho."

She needed to calm herself down. How were they ever going to have a relationship if she hyperventilated every time she saw him in anything less than a t-shirt and jeans? But Lulu couldn't help it._It should be illegal to look as good as he does_, she thought. Well, she was over the initial shock of seeing him in the robe – and the image of him all wet – and she figured she could handle herself better now.

Suddenly, she had an idea. Lulu glanced at her watch. It was nearing seven o'clock. She still had time to get to the stores before everything closed.


	3. An Emotional State

_A/N: Thanks to all who read and reviewed!! I live for your responses!! Here's the next chapter. Again, thanks goes to__** someday**__ who's little inserts here and there make the chapter complete. You are the best beta ever. You rock, hon! _

**Chapter 3: An Emotional State**

Johnny stood in the shower, letting the hot water run down over his body. It helped to ease away most of the tension and sadness of the day. Lulu helped with the rest of that. Just seeing how flustered she got when he was standing in the robe was enough to raise his spirits 100. He couldn't help it. She was just irresistible. Even thinking about her made his heart race. Her attitude, the way her hair fell upon her shoulders, her smile, the way her lips felt against his, her admission to wanting to be with him… Johnny groaned and leaned his head against the shower wall. Maybe he should have taken a cold shower…

A few minutes later, he was dried and again wrapped in the fluffy, white Metro Court robe. He heard a knock at the door – the room service. Grabbing a $50 dollar bill from his wallet, he made his way to the door. He figured since they were getting everything for free, the least he could do was tip the help well. It's not like he couldn't afford it.

Johnny opened the door and the bellhop greeted him. "Room service, sir."

"Thanks," he replied the cart was wheel into the room.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"That's all for now," he said, hading him the folded up bill.

The bellhop glanced down at the bill in his hand and gaped. "Sir, this is too much. I can't –"

Johnny smiled. "Don't worry about it. Enjoy."

"Thank you, sir."

After the bellhop left, Johnny made his way to the bedroom. He figured he would relax until Lulu got back and eat dinner with her. He grabbed the TV controller and crawled into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chest. Johnny flicked the TV on and started to flip through the channels._ Nice_, he thought._ Carly gave Lulu the movie channels_. He noticed one of his favorite movies was on – "The Princess Bride". He laughed, wondering what the other mob bosses would say if they knew about this. Suddenly, he sobered, remembering another fact about the movie: it was his and Claudia's favorite. They used to watch it together at least once a week for as long as he could remember. They wore out the first tape so badly, Maria had to go buy them another. He sighed and burrowed deeper into the covers to wait for Lulu.

* * *

When Lulu got back to the hotel room, she had been gone just a little over an hour. She didn't want to be out that long, but her shopping took more time than expected.

"Johnny," she called out when she entered the room. She saw the untouched room service cart and wondered why he hadn't eaten yet. She put the shopping bags on the sofa, keeping one small one, and called out again, "Johnny, are you here?" _That's a stupid question_, she thought rolling her eyes. _He has no clothes yet._

Lulu made her way to the bedroom and smiled at the scene before her. He looked so peaceful – almost like an angel. Johnny was asleep in the bed with "The Princess Bride" on in the background. The covers were bunched around his waist and the robe had fallen slightly open. Lulu stared at the expanse of chest that was now bared to her. She had only imagined what he would look like, but the firm, muscular, slightly hair-covered sight before her was even better than she ever thought. She had to physically restrain herself from rubbing her hands over him.

She collected her self and made her way over to the bed. Kneeling next to him, she said softly, "Johnny?" He didn't respond.

"Johnny, wake up." She gave him a little shake to jolt him.

"Hmmm, as you wish," he mumbled, stirring.

Lulu giggled. She leaned a little closer and said loudly, "Wake up!"

Johnny bolted upright, "What the hell?"

She fell over laughing. "I tried doing it nicely, but you didn't budge." Getting back up to her knees, she asked, "Do you always quote "The Princess Bride" in your sleep?"

He flushed a little as he ran his hand down his face. "It was on when I fell asleep," he replied in defense. "What took you so long?"

"I figured you didn't want to be sitting around in a robe all night, so I picked up some clothes for you. Courtesy of the Quatertmaines."

Johnny raised his eyebrow. "The Quatermaines?"

Lulu smiled. "Edward gave me a credit card to use in case of emergencies. I deemed this an emergency."

"What about what sizes I need?"

"Hello? I took your clothes to the laundry. I snuck a peek. I got you some loungey stuff to sleep in and jeans and stuff for tomorrow." She lowered her eyes and flushed at bit as she said the next bit. "And some boxers."

He bit back a laugh. "I missed that last part. What else?"

"Oh shut up," she snapped. "You heard me."

He got up and walked over to her. "Thank you, Lulu. For everything."

She pulled him into a hug. "All I want is for you to be happy, Johnny."

He put his finger under her chin and tilted it up so he could look into her eyes. "Knowing that you want to take care of me makes me happy. Knowing that you chose me makes me very happy," he said, then leaned down to kiss her.

Lulu closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his lips on hers. They only kissed a handful of times, but each time felt like the first time. She didn't think she would ever get tired of kissing Johnny Zacchara.

When they broke the kiss a few moments later, they just stood there, taking pleasure in being in each other's arms. Finally, Lulu sighed and said, "Why don't you go change into the clothes I got you while I go shower?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied with a grin. Lulu blushed again. "What, you don't like the robe?"

"No, the robe is fine," she choked out. "I just thought you'd like to get more comfortable."

He just smiled and went to walk out of the room. Remembering something, he paused and turned around. "Uh, the room service is probably cold by now though. I was waiting for you to eat. Should I order something else?"

The fact that Johnny wanted to wait for her made her flush with pleasure. "No, that's okay. There's a microwave in the kitchenette. If it doesn't bother you, we can just heat it up in there."

When Johnny left the room, she picked up her shopping bag and made her way to the bathroom. Apparently, Johnny enjoyed her reaction to him dressed in the robe earlier. Well, her idea was to make him as flustered as he made her, but now this was war. She grinned to herself and paraphrased one of her favorite lines from "The Princess Bride". "Never get involved in a land war in Asia, and never go in against a Spencer – on anything!"

* * *

Johnny did do as Lulu asked and changed into the clothes she bought him. She didn't buy anything extravagant – just a pair of black, cotton pajama bottoms and a white tank top. But they were soft and comfortable, and that's all that mattered. He peeked into the other Macy's bags to see what else she had bought. It looked like she picked up a nice black sweater and plain blue jeans for him for tomorrow. She even got him socks and a new pair of boots. Everything was Calvin Klein, except for the shoes – those were Doc Martins. _I guess if it's on the Quatermaine's, she didn't spare any expenses_, he thought with a chuckle.

When Lulu walked out of the bathroom towel-drying her hair, Johnny's mouth went dry. She was wearing tiny black shorts – if you could call them that; there was barely enough fabric to cover anything – that said "Angel" across the back and a tiny, white, strappy tank top that showed just enough skin at her waist. And it was obvious that she was no longer wearing a bra. At this point in time, Johnny no longer found himself capable of human communication.

She peeked out from under the towel on her head to glance at Johnny. He just stood in the middle of the room, dumbly staring at her. Lulu gave a triumphant little grin. _Now we're even_, she thought. Out loud, she asked, "Did you finish heating up the food?"

"Mmmhhmmm." He still didn't trust himself to speak.

"Cool. I'll meet you in the bedroom. We'll camp out on the bed and watch a movie."

Lulu couldn't help but let out a small giggle as he sped out of the room. She sauntered toward the bedroom, pleased with herself and her plan. Now that they were on even ground, everything would be just fine.

She flicked the TV back on and started flipping through the movie channels. "Hey," Lulu called out to Johnny, "what do you wanna watch? 'The Shining', 'Jaws', 'The Sixth Sense', 'Evil Dead II', or 'Psycho'?"

"What? Do you want to be scared or something," he called back.

"I'm just in the mood for a scary movie! Pick one!"

"Well then, 'All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.'"

"'The Shining' it is," she said with a smile as she flipped to the right channel.

Johnny came in with the food and they got comfortable on the bed. They ate and watched the first bit of the movie in silence. After a while, he noticed Lulu kept inching closer and closer to him during the scary parts, until she was grasping his arm and nearly sitting in his lap. By the time the part of the movie where Jack Nicholson breaks through the bathroom door with the ax came, she had her head burrowed in his shoulder.

"Okay," Johnny said, taking the controller and switching off the TV, "enough of that."

"Wait, no! It's not over!" She pouted, her bottom lip sticking out slightly.

He laughed. "Lulu, for the past fifteen minutes, you haven't watched anything but my arm. Why'd you even suggest this movie if you were so scared of it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Because it's one of the few really good scary movies out there. And, sometimes being scared is fun. I did get to cuddle up next to you, after all," she said, throwing him a dazzling smile.

Johnny's heart leapt at her smile. Then, that same heart almost exploded, it started beating so fast because at that moment, Lulu untangled herself from his arm and gave a long, relaxing stretch. She raised her arms above her head and pushed her feet all the way out. Her shirt crawled up, showing Johnny even more of her smooth stomach. His eyes zeroed in on that area, and he just stared in awe at how perfect it looked and he ached to reach out and run his hand over the milky expanse.

"Johnny? Hey Johnny? EARTH TO JOHNNY!" Lulu yelled, looking up at him and trying to get his attention.

"What," he asked quickly, snapping out of his daze. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what you were thinking about? You were concentrating awfully hard on something."

_You don't want to know_, he thought. Aloud, he replied, "Uh, I was just wondering why you decided to stay here tonight. I mean, I'm okay. You don't have to baby-sit me or anything."

"I'm not baby-sitting you. I'm here because I want to be here," she told him, her hand coming to rest on his arm.

"I think there's something more. I kind of get the feeling you were on your way here anyway," he proded, knowing something was bothering her.

Lulu just frowned and crossed her arms. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hands and uncrossing her arms. "I told you my problem, tell me yours. We're going to have to be truthful to each other if we really want to make this work."

She gave a loud sigh and stood up. "You're right. It's just that you have enough to worry about without me adding my problems to the list."

"And you obviously have plenty of problems of your own, yet you still took on mine. Now talk," he commanded gently, giving her a pointed look.

"Okay," she sighed, "but I'm warning you, it might get a little confusing."

He smiled. "I'm sure I'll manage."

"Fine. Well, I live in the Quatermaine mansion since my dad married Tracy. Now, Monica Quatermainne owns the mansion – she's the mother of Emily, the girl who was killed at the Black and White Ball. She is also a very talented surgeon. That is, until Emily was killed and she was still grieving while operating on my dad's bypass surgery. She froze in the OR and he would have died if Dr. Julian didn't get there when he did. Because of that, Tracy is now suing her for malpractice. On top of that, my dad up and disappeared the day he was supposed to be discharged from the hospital," she paused, catching her breath before continuing, "Monica kicked Tracy and my dad out of the mansion – he came back from wherever he was yesterday. But I was told I was allowed to say." She shrugged. "They like me for some reason, I guess. Anyway, I said no way. If my dad goes, I go. He's my real family. And on top of that, Tracy's separating from my dad because of his most recent escape. She can't take his unpredictability anymore, even though she really loves him and he actually fell for her."

Johnny interrupted. "'He actually fell for her.'?"

Lulu gave a rueful smile. "I can't even begin to explain that. Just take it for what it is."

"Okay."

"After the thing with Logan first happened, she was actually pretty supportive. She was another person I should have listened to. She warned me from him along with everyone else. For the first time, I felt like we were actually forming a relationship – understanding each other. And now she's gonna leave us because of my dad's stupidity." She sat back down on the bed. "That's my issues in a nutshell."

Johnny wrapped he arms around her shoulders. "Sounds like our families are the biggest fuck-ups on earth, huh?"

"You got that right." She paused for a second. "Speaking of your family, can I ask you a question?"

"I don't like the sound of that," he said warily, "but go ahead."

"I know you're extremely upset with her, but did you ever think maybe there was some reason that she stayed away?"

"Like what," he asked, a bit rougher than he meant to.

"Like she was forced away? Forbidden to keep in touch? Something like that?"

Johnny just shrugged in reply and turned his head away. Lulu grabbed his chin in her hand and forced him to look at her. "Johnny, you have to give her the benefit of the doubt. I've lived most of my life with my father barely around – "

"At least he was around!"

" – but I didn't let that ruin our relationship," she continued, ignoring his outburst. "It doesn't matter how much or how little she was around. Give her a chance to explain. She may surprise you."

"Haven't I been hurt enough, Lulu? What if you're wrong and I'm just setting myself up for more pain?"

"Then I'll be right here to help you through it all."

They sat for a few moments just holding each other, savoring the comfort each gave. Finally, Lulu yawned, "I'm tired. I think we've had enough emotionally draining drama for the night."

"I feel like I could sleep for days," he said standing up, pulling her with him. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick soft kiss on her lips. "I don't know how I would deal with all this without you."

"Well, that's not something you have to worry about," she replied with a smile.

Johnny let go of her and started to make his way to the living room. Lulu looked after him, confused. "Uh, where are you going?"

He paused halfway across the room. "To go sleep on the couch."

"Why?"

"Because it's the – "

"Oh, I don't want to hear it. All I want to do is fall asleep in your arms."

"There's nothing more I'd rather do, but – "

"Johnny," she said with a smile, "we've just barely agreed to start seeing each other. I'm not expecting us to have sex or anything. I just want you near me."

"Lulu – "

"Johnny," she said softly, "I trust you."

The "I trust you" is what did him in. The level of trust and belief she had in him was unbelievable – he probably didn't even deserve it or her. But she made him feel like no other. He walked back across the room and crawled into bed, slipping under the covers. He gathered her in his arms and he immediately felt peace. This was where Johnny was supposed to be.

"Good-night, Lulu."

"Good-night, Johnny."


	4. Ups and Downs

_A/N: Sorry it took so long for the update! I tried to get the last little bit just right. I'm already working on Chapter 2 of "Blind Sight", so keep an eye out!_

**Chapter 4: Ups and Downs**

Lulu awoke to banging on their hotel door. She jolted up to a sitting position and looked over to see if the ruckus had woken Johnny. Fortunately, he was still blissfully asleep. Sliding out of bed as to not disturb him, she slipped on her robe and made her way to the door. Before she got there, the banging started again – this time accompanied by a loud, angry voice.

"Lulu! I know you're in there! Open up!" 

Logan. 

Lulu took a deep breath and pulled the door open. "Logan! Keep your voice down! Are you trying to wake the whole damn floor?'

"I'm sorry," he replied, lowering his voice. "I just needed to see you, to talk to you."

"We have nothing to talk about. And how did you know I was here anyway?"

"Well, you told me yesterday about the Quatermaines, so I knew you weren't there. You weren't at Lucky's or at Wyndemere. And," he said smiling a little, "I remembered you showed me this place once. So I figured this was the only other place you could be at."

"Stalker much, Logan," she said, slightly frightened by the measures he took to find her. 

"I just wanted to apologize for my actions. I was wrong to say the things I said to you."

"Okay, you apologized," she replied coldly. "Now you can leave."

"So I can't stay so we can talk this out," he asked, getting agitated.

"There is nothing to talk out, Logan. We are done. Over." She turned to go back to the bedroom.

"Lulu, please," he pleaded, grabbing her by the arms and turning her back to face him. "Just give me a chance."

"Another one? How many have I given you so far, huh," she threw back, struggling to free her arms. 

"That's unfair."

"No, I've been more than fair. Now let me go and get out!"

"Not until you listen to me."

"I believe the lady said to leave," a voice came from the bedroom doorway.

Logan dropped Lulu's arms like they were live wires when he saw Johnny standing there. She rubbed where his hands were, knowing there would be bruises there later. "Who's the liar now, Lulu? 'Be on your own.' Isn't that what you said," he snarled, anger contorting his features.

"And here we go again with the insinuations. How many times do I have to explain? Johnny and I didn't do anything!"

Yet, Johnny thought with a smile. 

"Right. I'm supposed to believe that when you're both standing there in your pajamas?"

"You know what? Fine. I didn't want to be on my own. I just didn't want to be with someone as jealous and spiteful as you, Logan. And that's what you've become. Jealous and hateful and spiteful."

"I'm sure," Logan spat out. "And the minute you decided to break up with me, you ran straight to Johnny, right? I bet you've been cheating on me the whole time with him, haven't you?"

"Sorry, Logan, I'm not you," she retorted. "I'm the faithful one when in a committed relationship – unlike you."

"You know," he mused, tapping his finger on his chin, "they call Maxie the homewrecker and tramp." Suddenly, he grabbed her arm, pulled her against him and snarled in her face, "But you're just as big a whore as she is."

The next thing Lulu knew, Johnny had Logan pinned face first against the wall. 

"Motherfucker," Logan cried out. "I think you broke my nose!"

"Lulu," Johnny said calmly ignoring him, "why don't you call hotel security to escort Mr. Hayes out of the building."

She nodded, eyes wide in shock, and ran into the other room to make the call.

"Now you listen to me," he said, turning back to Logan, voice dripping with malice, "you're lucky you're only getting a broken nose out of this. If I ever hear you say a disrespectful word about Lulu ever again, I'll break your fucking neck. After I rip out your tongue and feed it to you. Understood?"

Logan nodded as well as he could with his head pinned against the wall. Lulu came back into the room. "Security is on the way up."

"Good," Johnny replied. "Could you open the door for me?"

She did as he asked, and he deposited Logan in the hallway. He could see the security guards making their way down to where they were, so he gave Logan a mocking wave and closed the door.

Johnny turned around to check on Lulu. She just stood there, tears in her eyes, arms wrapped around herself. "How could he say such horrible things?"

He walked over to her and wrapped him arms around her. "Because he's a miserable person who can't accept that he screwed up his own life."

She sighed. "I'm just glad you were here."

"How did he know where to find you anyway?"

"I showed him the place once after a dinner date here. He never stayed here with me, though," she added defensively.

Johnny took her face in his hands. "Now did I ask you that? No. Because I trust you. You don't have to explain anything."

They stood together for a few more moments, just holding each other, savoring the comfort. They were disturbed only by a knock on their door. Johnny let go of Lulu to see who was disturbing them this time.

"Yes?"

A hotel steward wheeled in a cart with champagne and strawberries on it. There was a note addressed to Johnny. Lulu handed the steward a tip while Johnny read the note.

_Johnny – _

_I suppose I have you to thank for Logan's busted face. Thanks._

_- Carly _

He laughed at the short note. 

"What's so funny," Lulu asked, mouth full of strawberries. He handed her the card and she read it, rolling her eyes when she was done. "Only Carly would send someone champagne for beating up someone she didn't like."

"I guess I'm growing on her, huh?"

"I guess so," she responded with a grin. "Come on. Let's drink our champagne and watch a movie."

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies, each alternating choices: Johnny: **Reservoir Dogs,** Lulu: **Enchanted,** Johnny:**Crank,** Lulu: **From Dusk Til Dawn**.

"Hold up," Johnny said when they got to Lulu's second turn to choose. "You barely watched **The Shining **last night, and now you expect me to believe you're gonna watch a vampire flick?"

"This one isn't scary, it's fun," she said, grinning. "Plus, George Clooney is in it."

"Oh, George Clooney is in it," he mocked. "We have to watch it now!"

"Just shut up and watch."

About half way through the movie, the part where Santanico Pandemonium, played by Salma Hayek, does an exotic dance with a snake came on.

"Okay, I'm sorry but I have to tell you the truth about something."

"Oh," Lulu asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Salma Hayek is my actual girlfriend. This," he said, gesturing to himself and Lulu, "is just a cover for her. You know how the stars hate the paparazzi shoving their noses into – " He got cut off by a pillow to the face.

"You are such a moron," she said, laughing.

"What it's true! I admit, she came to me one night when I was out in NYC and how could I turn her down?" Johnny got another pillow to the face in response. "Okay, that's it!" He jumped off the bed and went to grab her. Lulu squealed and made a mad dash into the living room.

They circled each other around the couch for a minute, Johnny waiting for her to make a mistake so he could grab her. 

"So," Lulu taunted playfully, "I guess if this is all a cover for you and Salma, I'm gonna need a new boyfriend. You know, Spinelli always had a crush on me, and then there's Milo – oh!" Her pause to taunt him gave him the opening he needed. Johnny pinned her down on the couch and started tickling her mercilessly.

"Ah! No," she yelped, laughing uncontrollably. "And if neither of those work out," she gasped out between giggles, "I guess there's always Logan." Lulu regretted those words the minute they flew out of her mouth.

Johnny froze and swiftly got off of her, stiffly walking back towards the bedroom.

"Johnny, wait," Lulu called out, jumping up to follow him. "I didn't mean anything by it."

He just stood in the middle of the room with his back to her. "Is that what I am? Just a stepping stone until you and Logan work things out?"

"What," she asked, stunned. "No. Absolutely not. Johnny, we were both joking around. I made a bad one. I'm sorry." She put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. Lulu felt like she was punched in the stomach.

"Logan is not someone to joke about," he spit out. "Did you not see him this morning? He wanted to hurt you," he said, turning around and picking up one of her arms. "There's proof of it right there. How could you even joke?" Johnny sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. Lulu just bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She was hurt and confused – how could one simple word cause so much strife?

"I'm sorry," Johnny finally sighed. "I shouldn't be freaking over nothing. We _were_ just joking around. But those are my 2 worst fears. You getting hurt and you leaving me for Logan. I know I've pushed you towards him so many times, but Lulu – I've wanted you since I met you." He stood up and pulled her into a hug. "I've realized that I'm selfish. I don't care about anything except having you in my arms. And if you are going to go back to Logan again, I don't know if I could take it."

Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Johnny. You kept pushing me to Logan, but I kept coming back to you. What don't you understand? I. Want. You," she said putting her hands on his face. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

"What about keeping you safe," he mumbled into her hair.

"I've got you. Why wouldn't I be safe?"

"But what if – " She broke off his argument with a kiss. They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, just tasting each other, enjoying the softness of their lips and the sweetness of their mouths. Finally, they separated, and Johnny laid his cheek against Lulu's hair.

"Why can't every day be just like now? Just hanging around, drinking champagne and eating strawberries; watching movies without a care in the world?"

"Because real life sucks," she replied, with a sigh. "And our lives wouldn't be complete without angst."

"Do you think Carly would mind if we moved in here?"

Lulu laughed at that. "Yes. Plus," she said, getting serious, "you need to go talk to your sister. You have to find out the truth about why she left. Promise me."

Johnny sighed. "I know. I'll leave for home in a little bit."

"It'll be okay, Johnny, you'll see." They walked over to the bed and sat down. Lulu laid her head on Johnny's shoulder. "On the other hand," she said, "getting Tracy to take back my dad is a whole 'nother ballgame."


End file.
